Munster 2015/2016

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Felix isn't on a sabbatical from Bank of Ireland though so he has that in his favour.

[simonokeeffe]

Erasmus is having scrum and forwards coaches imposed on him, no way he accepts backs as well especially a guy with zero experience

[munster#1]

Being rumoured that Jones will be promoted to backs coach within the next few days.

Not the person I would have lined up for the job, but so far all noise indicates that he has been impressive so far.

[simonokeeffe]

Being rumoured that Jones will be promoted to backs coach within the next few days.

Not the person I would have lined up for the job, but so far all noise indicates that he has been impressive so far.

Its a surprise but hope it works out, how long of a deal does he get though? one year with an option of a second or something similar

[munster#1]

Being rumoured that Jones will be promoted to backs coach within the next few days.

Not the person I would have lined up for the job, but so far all noise indicates that he has been impressive so far.

Its a surprise but hope it works out, how long of a deal does he get though? one year with an option of a second or something similar

A one year contract for any coach is worthless, one year would not give you anywhere near enough time to implement your ideas.

The changes at Munster will not be a one year quick fix. We may see advances in the first year, but I don't expect to see Munster in next season's Heineken cup final.

[simonokeeffe]

Its an experiment but Foley (forwards) is also up after Erasmus year 1 so theres issue of continuity v letting Erasmus put his stamp on it; two year deal not out of question by any means
Has length of Flannery's been disclosed

[Ruckedtobits]

[quote} Munster #1 wrote:

A one year contract for any coach is worthless, one year would not give you anywhere near enough time to implement your ideas.

The changes at Munster will not be a one year quick fix. We may see advances in the first year, but I don't expect to see Munster in next season's Heineken cup final.[/quote]

Don't accept that logic for a moment. Any quality Coach can introduce his philosophy and outlook within 3/4 months at Club level, if that includes a full pre-season. He may not reach the full potential in that period but he can bring about significant change and real improvement - if he is good enough in the first place.

[Dave Cahill]

Time for Munster to announce that the debt has been written off again

Munster Rugby’s poor performances and falling attendances have seen its annual deficit forecast soar to almost €1.95 million for the soon-to-end financial year.

Munster Rugby financial controller Philip Quinn and honorary treasurer Tom Kinirons. Picture: Brian Gavin Press 22
Delegates at last night’s Munster Branch Annual General Meeting at Young Munster RFC were told by Munster Rugby financial controller Philip Quinn that the forecasted figure had risen from a €333,000 deficit in the final accounts presented for 2014-15 as gate income fell by more than €1m during the season just ended.

Quinn said playing Pro12 games during last autumn’s Rugby World Cup, with two of those Thomond Park games against Ulster and Glasgow kicking off at 6pm on a Friday, allied to the failure of Anthony Foley’s side to reach the league play-offs had had a significant impact, not just on gate revenues but related bar and match programme income streams, although he reported hospitality revenue had remained constant year on year.

Another difficult campaign in Europe, which saw Munster open with Italian minnows Treviso and then play Stade Francais at home a week after being eliminated ahead of the knockout stages also hit the province hard, accounting for a sizeable chunk of the forecasted deficit of €1.92m.

The deficit comes despite continued assistance from the IRFU in the form of increased grants and a repayment holiday on Munster’s loan to finance Thomond Park’s 2008 redevelopment, save for interest-only payments in five figures.

It also comes for a period which saw an increase in sponsorship and income from commercial board activities but rises in professional team and other staff costs.

Quinn explained the deficit would have been much worse had it not been for an additional and recently approved €250,000 payment from the IRFU.

“What we’re forecasting is €1.95m. We were looking at €2.2m around February and March but the IRFU have given an additional support to each of the provinces and that was approved at their recent budget meetings so it has brought our cash deficit back to €1.95m,” he told the Irish Examiner.

“Our budget for the year was actually for a loss of €700,000 so we knew going into the year we would be making a loss. It’s all gate-related and there’s a mixture of factors. Europe was down about half a million from 14-15, when we averaged 24,000 in ticket sales. We were just under 20,000 in 15-16. The major drivers in that were having Treviso, which wasn’t great from a spectators’ perspective. Leicester was fine, we were at around 24,000 but then being knocked out before Stade had a massive impact again. We had 19,000 ticket sales for Stade and that has a €0.5m impact straight away.

“Then, when you look at the Pro12 side of things, we were down about €300,000. The kick-off times for Ulster and Glasgow on Fridays at 6pm were massive hits. We analysed our ticket sales by county and 71% of our ticket sales come from outside of Limerick. So once you have a poor kick-off time you’re eliminating the majority of our support. Those kick off times are absolutely killing us.

“Added to that you have the Rugby World Cup as well and we really suffered with having Ulster and Glasgow as well as Connacht when there was still a bit of a World Cup hangover. We did quite well late in the season when were fighting for the Champions Cup.”

Not qualifying for this year’s Pro12 play-offs meant the 2015 runners-up lost out on two big pay days while the province’s staging of an Ireland Wolfhounds game in January 2015 at Musgrave Park also made this season’s figures suffer in comparison to the previous year’s accounts.

“Last year we had the Wolfhounds game, which generated about €100,000 and (Pro12) knockout income of €225,000 from the semi-final and final last year, which we didn’t have this year.

“But the major ones were Europe and the Pro12 which was (a deficit from the previous year of) €800,000 altogether.”

Sponsorship, said Quinn, had increased by €400,000 on the previous year including shirt sponsors Bank of Ireland expanding their deal with new activations in the province’s domestic game while the commercial board had also reaped the rewards of a new patrons programme which encouraged donations.

“That’s really bearing fruit for us at the moment,” Munster’s financial controller said. “Doug Howlett is out as our corporate ambassador and getting patrons to support our academy and community rugby.”

More significant assistance, though is coming from Munster’s main paymasters, the IRFU. Quinn and honorary treasurer Tom Kinirons have had a series of meetings at Lansdowne Road with IRFU director of finance Conor O’Brien and treasurer Tom Grace which Quinn described as “positive”.

So while there are fewer Munster men on national contracts, forcing the province to pick up the tab on players previously funded centrally, the rising player costs, up €620,000 on 2014-15 to €4.48m, had been covered by €1.1m in additional IRFU grant income.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/muns ... 03005.html

[simonokeeffe]

would like to know the strings attached to the bailout

saw a randommer on twitter saying players are putting off/avoiding going into Munster academy to finish/do college courses in Cork

[the spoofer]

The Greece of Irish rugby. Both had a glorious past, both are now a basket case and neither a re likely to re-emerge as a power. Although Greece does have wine and sunshine to compensate.

[John23]

The Greece of Irish rugby. Both had a glorious past, both are now a basket case and neither a re likely to re-emerge as a power. Although Greece does have wine and sunshine to compensate.

The sunshine yes, the wine not so sure.

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

[jimbobjoe]

The Greece of Irish rugby. Both had a glorious past, both are now a basket case and neither a re likely to re-emerge as a power. Although Greece does have wine and sunshine to compensate.

The sunshine yes, the wine not so sure.

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

The olive oil is excellent.. and the raki

[Peg Leg]

Feta focking cheese, case closed.

[ribs]

Clear from reading it that there was absolutely zero medium term planning done during the good days - they even assumed they'd keep the same volume of central contacts. If any other business was run like that it would have gone to the wall by now. . Supporters looking for expensive foreign signings now too? they should forget it until major changes at senior finance there

[janeymac08]

Clear from reading it that there was absolutely zero medium term planning done during the good days - they even assumed they'd keep the same volume of central contacts. If any other business was run like that it would have gone to the wall by now. . Supporters looking for expensive foreign signings now too? they should forget it until major changes at senior finance there

I'd say developing both Thomond Park & Musgrave, not to mention a new training facility had an element of short, medium and long term planning in it.

[simonokeeffe]

True but they got one of them badly wrong (Thomond), arguments to be made on how well other two went. Think reference was more to squad/on pitch matters

Another thing that came out of that report/story is 70% of Munster's ticket sales are to outside of Limerick

[janeymac08]

True but they got one of them badly wrong (Thomond), arguments to be made on how well other two went. Think reference was more to squad/on pitch matters

Another thing that came out of that report/story is 70% of Munster's ticket sales are to outside of Limerick

How have they got Thomond wrong? The only thing that was wrong with that was they tried to pay back the borrowed money too quickly. How is it not better to own your own ground, corporate entertainment, food & beverage sales etc. as well as being able to stage concerts and even 7s Tournaments.

Musgrave had to be redeveloped. Its redevelopment financed itself (unlike Leinster who made a total bags of the development of Donnybrook - losing 6 or 7 million on it)

Having a 9m training facility (including 25m pool) paid for by University of Limerick isn't a good idea?

Does it really matter where the ticket sales comes from as long as the games are not played on a Friday night. It should be remembered as well that a lot of Limerick city is now in Clare!

[simonokeeffe]

The ticket sales bit is just interesting/breaks a stereotype

TP is 5k too big and naming rights werent sold so yeah that was badly wrong.

Being able to use the UL facility is good, but theres an argument Cork would have been a better location for training base

[Not_Today]

Being able to use the UL facility is good, but theres an argument Cork would have been a better location for training base

There is that but if UCC had the new Training Centre they'd be posters saying that's wrong as it should be in UL.

Moaners will moan.

[Xanthippe]

The ticket sales bit is just interesting/breaks a stereotype

Have a feeling that putting that ticket sales stat in their report was actually someone being REALLY clever. Bet they'll use it in fixture negotiations as a reason why they should never have to play on Friday night or Sunday afternoon. Expect it to be put forward that because 70% of support comes from outside Limetick they should be allowed to play all their home games at 7pm on Saturday!!